What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Frankie, the US Redemption dvd of Lips of Blood with it's snapper case, was the first Rollin dvd i ever bought.

Still got it.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Planet of the Vampires (1965)

One of the obvious inspirations for Ridley Scott's Alien, with a scene of astronauts discovering a derelict alien space craft and the enormous skeletons of it's dead crew. The rest of the plot has the astronauts land on an unnamed world and become possessed by disembodied beings after death and transformed into zombie like creatures.

Mario Bava takes his usual decadent Gothic trappings and moves them into deep space in this atmospheric sci-fi horror chiller. Complete with fog bound sets and cobwebs on the walls - the mind boggles at what created the cobwebs. Space spiders?

Bava's direction is assured and his rich use of colour almost revolutionary - red and blue hued lighting and lots of rolling fog and bizarre rock formations which added to Bava's photography easily covers the limited sets and next to no budget in almost deceptively rich style lulling the viewer into thinking this is more than the sum of it's parts. My only grumble with the look of the film is inside the astronauts space craft. The roof is way too high and never in shot making it seem like a film studio rather than the confines of a space craft.

There's perhaps too much going back and forwards over the same plot points, but Planet of the Vampires remains a hugely enjoyable slice of Italian science fiction with a distinct Gothic flavour.

The new Blu-ray from Radiance Films looks stunning and the sound on the English dub is crystal clear. I went with the dub seeing as Barry Sullivan dubbed himself and the other members of the cast were from all over the world rather than Italy, (although we do get Ivan Rassimov playing one of the crew) I actually think reading subtitles would take away from the experience as it means you wouldn't be marveling at Bava's wonderful creativity on screen.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

High Plains Drifter (1973)

A classy western about a mysterious stranger who basically takes over a frontier mining town that's terrified of three outlaws fresh out of jail who are returning to mete out their own brand of frontier justice on the corrupt townsfolk. Taking advantage of the situation, the stranger takes and does what he wants whilst the frightened citizens can do nothing about it.

Clint Eastwood daubs the word 'Hell' over the town of Lago's sign but it could quite easily have been 'Retribution' as the great man seemingly plays the vengeful spirit of a marshal whipped to death in the street by the three criminals whilst the town stood by watching doing nothing to help the stricken law man.

Although it's never explicitly said that the stranger is a supernatural presence there are enough hints and suggestions throughout to make it pretty clear including Clint's stunt double Buddy Van Horn playing the marshal so he has a striking resemblance to Eastwood anyway.

Taken purely as a western, High Plains Drifter is a stylish, brutal allegory with jet black humour and paranoia to the fore.

One of those films that's once seen, never forgotten especially the town painted red to resemble hell on earth.

[MrBarlow]

Teen Wolf. 1985.

Michael J. Fox plays 17 year old Scott, going through life with a few changes in life with family, school, girls and have the tendencies to change into a wolf while creating popularity and enemies. How anyone can say that they watched this and hated it is beyond me, yeah it's the 80s, corny, chessey, prancing about on a van while listening to the Beach Boys, attending wild parties without causing problems. Fox makes this movie worthwhile along with James Hampton who plays his dad who knows of the gene and hoped it would pass by but didn't which makes the look on Scott's face priceless.

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[nicholasrope]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Blood Tide (1982)

A young couple played by Martin Kove and Mary Louise Weller go to a Greek island where Kove's sister (Deborah Shelton) allegedly disappeared. Soon after arriving they find her shacked up with James Earl Jones' treasure hunter, whilst drug fueled ramblings of ancient monsters and human sacrifice are frequently spouted by islander Jose Ferrer and his cronies.

The island has the same sun drenched cliff tops of other 'classic' Greek set horrors such as Incense for the Damned (1981) and The Devil's Men (1976) and shares those films levels of comforting dreariness randomly punctuated by shots of beautiful deep blue seas and even more beautiful bikini babes - Those with a nervous disposition had better steer clear of Kove's small white shorts - Meanwhile James Earl Jones does his own private audition for the role of grizzled sea captain in a Jaws sequel that never happened.

Although produced by Nico Mastorakis this lacks the breathless energy of his directing gigs in the 80's, after an hour you realise there's more benign nothingness here than horror and yet i find it eminently watchable for all it's lacklustre goings on.

I believe that there were behind the scenes issues going on and it affected the production.

This was announced and released at the same time as White Fire and I agree with the fact that nothing happened until the end and it was so boring, I was wanting something to happen. Such a disappointment with a film with potential.

[nicholasrope]

Serial Mom

Quirky Black Comedy which is apparently based on a true story of a Mother who murders anyone who affects her family in any way whether it's a Teacher, standing up her Daughter or not taking care of their teeth when that person imposes on her husband, who's a Dentist. Kathleen Turner plays the titular character whereas Sam Waterson, Ricki Lake and Matthew Lillard play her family. Nice and short and it's entertaining with some good laughs where people barge in when a Teen is watching a Porn Film and people's faces when they see her after she's been named as a suspect.

Red Monks

Lucio Fulci presents this Gothic Horror in which a owner of a Castle marries a woman but is under orders by a mysterious sect to sacrifice virgins. This was more atmospheric and it could have been a good film but there wasn't much gore and there was too much set up. I didn't fast forward but it's a watch once but not one for repeat viewings or another watch any time soon.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by nicholasrope

Red Monks

Lucio Fulci presents this Gothic Horror in which a owner of a Castle marries a woman but is under orders by a mysterious sect to sacrifice virgins. This was more atmospheric and it could have been a good film but there wasn't much gore and there was too much set up. I didn't fast forward but it's a watch once but not one for repeat viewings or another watch any time soon.

Maybe perversely but i really like The Red Monks. Seen it several times over the years. I'd rewatch it again but i'd kinda like my next viewing to be a Blu-ray.

[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by nicholasrope

Red Monks

Lucio Fulci presents this Gothic Horror in which a owner of a Castle marries a woman but is under orders by a mysterious sect to sacrifice virgins. This was more atmospheric and it could have been a good film but there wasn't much gore and there was too much set up. I didn't fast forward but it's a watch once but not one for repeat viewings or another watch any time soon.

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Maybe perversely but i really like The Red Monks. Seen it several times over the years. I'd rewatch it again but i'd kinda like my next viewing to be a Blu-ray.

I enjoyed The Red Monks, although Fulci is attached to the film by name only it certainly does hold your attention...or it did to me second time watching it, like Dem I have watched it several times.

[MrBarlow]

The Unborn. 1991.

Brooke Adams and Jeff Hayenga are desperate for a baby and seek help from doctor James Karen, new career path from robbing dead folk...who uses a IVF treatment that helps the couple to have a baby but with different side effects.

Anyone wanting to start a family...best avoid this one, right at the start we can see something is wrong that gives out It's Alive vibe thanks to Larry Cohen for that one and Village Of The Damned. The film is bizarre in some places as the expecting mother knows something is wrong and we want to see what actually it is, some mild but good blood splatter and maybe for at the time disturbing but not as disturbing as the french film Inside. The makers may have wanted to do a homage to Rosemary's Baby with the ending. It's not a great masterpiece of a film but not terrible either.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Battle of Britain (1969)

"What General Weygand called the 'Battle of France' is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin." - Winston Churchill, June 18th, 1940.


A war film that is generally faithful to events depicting a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe.

As it is a genuine depiction of events and not a piece of fiction it's perhaps not as exciting as it could be seeing as there are no sub plots or daring do heroics that never occurred. However what we have is a fabulous international cast playing largely real people and some superb aerial sequences of dog fights in the English skies using 100 authentic aircraft.

At the time American critics weren't complimentary about the film - probably because it wasn't America winning a war - but their film producers were quick to use it's aerial footage in their own movies such as Midway (1976).


"Never was so much owed by so many to so few" - Winston Churchill, August 20th, 1940.